Obama to meet with immigration advocates

President Barack Obama will meet Friday afternoon with immigration advocates, including those who have publicly called for him to stop deportations, according to two people who have received invitations.

The White House session marks the second day in a row that Obama will confront the issue of his deportation record in light of the immigration reform bill stalled on Capitol Hill.

Text Size

-

+

reset

White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about the meeting.

Obama is meeting Thursday afternoon with three top officials from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who have criticized his administration on deportations. The White House billed that meeting with Democratic Reps. Xavier Becerra of California, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Rubén Hinojosa of Texas as an opportunity to discuss immigration reform legislation.

The Hispanic Caucus has been debating a resolution critical of White House deportation policy. Last week, the head of the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Latino advocacy organization, dubbed Obama the “deporter-in-chief” and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) called on the president to change his deportation policy.

Earlier Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama still has “hope” that the GOP-controlled House will move an immigration reform package, though the legislation has been stalled since the Senate passed a comprehensive bill last June.